Hydraulically operated scraper and the like



May 30,1939. c. LE BLEU 2,160,595

HYDRAUIJICALLY OPERATED SCRAPER AND THE LIKE Filed May 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR CHARLES LEBLEU ATTORNEY May 30, 1939. c. LE BLEU 2,160,595

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED SCRAPER AND THE LIKE Filed May 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 55 69 60 7 K I 6/ 63 is 48 11v VENTOR I GHAELES LEELEU A TTORNEY 50 I5, a front sprocket wheel IS, a frame structure means of a pair of hydraulic rams 44 and 45 o Patented M... so, 1939 I 2,160,595

"UNITED STATES PATENTS-OFFICE 2,160,595 HYDRAUHCAILY OPERATED SCBAPER AND THE LIKE Charles Le Blen, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Emsco Derrick and Equipment Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 2i, 1935, Serial No. 22,528

SOIaims. (Cl. 37-144) This invention relates to a material moving have separate vertical swinging movement as is means, and particularly pertains to a hydraulinecessary. to accommodate the units to the concally operated scraper or the like. tour of the ground over which the scraper passes.

.In the operation ofv scrapers, such as those Disposed at opposite sides of the track laying 5 used for moving dirt and grading roads, or other units are thrust rails 20 and 2|. These rails 5 areas, it is desirable to move a scraper blade in connect with a cross bolster 22 at their rearward a manner to insure that it may be freely moved ends and thus form a U-shaped frame structure and controlled, and it is further desirable to prowhich extends transversely of the front of' the vide means whereby the scraper blade may be tractor and rearwardly along opposite sides easily raised and lowered or tilted at angles to thereof. The rear ends of the thrust bars 20 10 the horizontal. It is the principal object of the and 2| are provided with pivots 23 and 24 represent invention to provide a power propelled spectively which are connected with opposite ends scraper structure carrying ascraper blade, which of an equalizing bar 25 which extends transblade is provided with hydraulic operable means versely of the rear of the tractor and is pivoted to positively raise and lower the blade and to by a center bolt 26 to a bracket 21 fixed to the 15 positively tilt it at angles to the horizontal as rear of th tractor main ra M un ed upon well as dispose the blade at an inclination to a the cross bolster 22 is a king pin 28 engaging normalplane of operation at right angles to the brackets 29 extending rearwardly from a t longitudinal axis of the structure. versely disposed scraper blade 30. The scraper The present invention contemplates the problade 30 is thus free to swing horizontally with 20 vision of a self-propelled vehicle preferably prorelation to the pin 28. The frame I! of the vided with a running gear comprising track layer track laying units l3 and I4 carry rigidupright structures and which vehicle carries a scraper posts 3| at the upper ends of which pivot pins blade disposed transversely of the front thereof, 32 r mounted. These pins provide a Pivotal said blade being mounted in a, manner to move connection for the rear ends of lever arms 33 25 bodily in a vertical direction, to be tilted with Which extend w d y d at their Outer ends relation to the horizontal, and to be disposed carry a pivot pin 3 T e Pivot p 34 0f the at various inclinations to the path of travel of lever arm 33 associated with the track laying the vehicle whereby the operating level of the unit l4 receives a bell crank W e a S a blade will be determined and whereby the matepivot p p the Opposite Side Of e t et 30 rial may be shoved to a desired side of the path receives a bell crank 36. The lower legs of the of advance of the scraper. bell cranks and 36 are of the same length and The invention is illustrated by way of examextend forwardly and downwardly. The upper ple in the accompanying drawings in which: 7 legs are of difierent lengths. The upper leg of 35 Figure l is a view in side elevation showing an bell crank 36 is longer than the Same l of hell '35 embodiment of the present invention. crank 35 for a purpose to be hereinafter ex- Fig. 2 is a view in plan showing the structure plainedo The forward legs of each of these bell and particularly the valve arrangement. cranks carry pivot pins 31 from which links 38 Fig. 3 is an enlarged," view showing the flow are suspended. The links hang downwardlyand plan of the valve arrangement and the hydraulic are connected to the cross bolster 22 by P 40 system. bolts 39 and brackets 40 carried by the bolster. Referring more particularly to the drawings The lever arms '33 are pivotally connected at In indicates the main frame of the structure their forward ends to links 4| which are secured which is here shown as carrying a power unit to the levers by pins 42 and to the frame ll of generally indicated at H. At the rear of the each of the track lay units y P 45 frame I0 is disposed a suitable seat l2 for the will be evident that swinging movement of the operator of the scraper. The main frame is carbell cranks 35 and 36 will tend to raise and lower rid upon a pair of track laying units l3 and the opposite sides of the cross bolster 22. .Power I4, each of which embodies a rear sprocket wheel is pp d to Swing the bell cranks 35 and 5 by H, and an endless track l8. It will be underrespectively. These rams are of the same cross stood that the track laying units are pivotally sectional area and capacity and are so connected mounted upon a rear axle l9 which is carried as to insure that a pressure fluid delivered to one by the main frame I0 and around the opposite end of one ram will displace fluid from the op- 5;, ends of which axle the track laying units may posite end of the same ram and deliver it to an end of the other ram, after which said fluid will be displaced from the second ram. It will be evident, however, that the amounts of fluid displaced from the ends of the rams in which the piston rods extend will .be less than the fluid capacity of the closed end of each of the rams. This would cause unequal movement of the bell cranks and 96, and for that reason the upper leg of the bell crank 36 is made longer than the leg of the bell crank 35 to compensate for the variation in fluid capacity at opposite sides of the pistons in the hydraulic rams 44 and 45. It will be understood that each of the rams 44 and 45 is provided with a piston rod 46 carrying a piston 41 which reciprocates in the cylinder of the ram.

In addition to the hydraulic rams for raising and lowering the blade 36 rams 48 and 49 by which the blade 39 may be swung around the axis of the king pin 28 are provided. These rams are pivotally mounted on brackets 50 at their rear ends, which brackets are carried by the thrust bars 20 and 2|. The rams include pistons 51 connected with piston rods 52 whichrin turn are connected to the ends 01' the scraper blade 30 by pivot pins 53. The rams 44 and 45 are pivoted to brackets 54 carried by the uprights 3|. A connection between the ram cylinders and the brackets 54 is made by pins 55. The rams 44 and 45 and 48 and 49 are operatively connected with a hydraulic control system as shown in Fig. 2, but more clearly disclosed in the diagram, Fig. 3. Here it will be seen that a tank 56 is provided to receive an incompressible fluid which tank is drawn off through a pipe 51 by a pump 58. The pump is provided with a pipe 59 leading to the housing of a master valve 60. Within this valve housing is a rotary valve member formed with a central fluid passageway 6| and opposite side fluid passageways 62 and 63. The passageway 6| extends diametrically across the rotary valve element and may establish communication between the pipe 59 and. a pipe 64 leading to a secon'dary control valve 65 which will be hereinafter described. The central passageway 6| of the valve element in the master valve housing may be rotated to establish communication between the passageway 6i and a pipe 66 or a pipe 61, in which event either of the pipes 66 or 61 will be placed in communication with the pipe 64. The pipe 61 leads to one side of a relief valve 68. The other side of this valve connects with pipe 66. The pipe 66 also communicates with a pipe 69 leading to the housing of a reversing valve 10. The reversing valve has a rotary valve element therein forming valve passageways 1| and 12. This rotary valve element may thus simultaneously establish communication between the pipe 69 and a pipe 13, and a pipe 14 and a pipe 15. It may also be desirable to rotate the valve to establish communication between pipes 13 and 15, and pipes 69 and 14. The pipe 13 leads to the end of the ram 45. The pipe 14 connects with the opposite end of the same ram. The pipe 15 leads to one end of ram 44. This ram has a re-, turn pipe 16 which connects with the pipe 61.

By this arrangement it will be evident that by i the control of the master valve 60 and the rever'singvalve 10 the direction of flow through the rams 44 and 45 may be alternately estab-- lished, at which time the fluid displaced by piston in the initially actuated ram will be carried through the valve 10 to the opposite ram and the fluid displaced from that ram will be returned through the-valve 69 to the tank 56.

This return will be eflected through pipe 44 and the secondary valve to a return pipe 11. This operation will take place when the secondary valve 65 is disposed with the central passageway 19 of its rotary valve member in simultaneous register with pipes 64 and 11. The rotary valve element of the secondary valve 96 also has passageways 19 and by which a fluid circulation may be completed when the passageway 19 is in communication with either of pipes 9| or 92. The pipe 9| is here shown as connecting to one end 01' the hydraulic ram 49. The pipe 92 is here shown as connected to the same end of the hydraulic ram 49. The two rams are cross connected at their opposite ends by a pipe 93 so that fluid delivered to either of the rams will move the piston within the ram to which it is delivered and thereafter displace fluid upon the opposite side of this piston to move into the opposite ram and thus simultaneously operate the same in a reverse direction.

In operation of the device it is assembled as shown in the drawings and the hydraulic system is particularly connected as shown in Fig.3. Assuming that the rotary element of the master valve 60 is disposed with the passageway 6i in communication with the pipe 66 the pressure fluid will pass through pipe 66, thence through passageway 69 to passageway 12 of the rotary valve 10 when the valve is in dotted line position and then through pipe 13 to the hydraulic'ram 15. This will move the piston 41 of that ram outwardly and will displace fluid on the opposite side thereof forcing it through pipe 14 into passageway H of the valve 10, and thence through the pipe 15 to the rear end of the hydraulic ram 44, thus moving the piston 41 of that ram outwardly, after which the displaced fluid in ram 44 will return through pipe 16 to pipe 61 and will be exhausted from the master valve 60 through the passageway 63 leading to the pipe 64. This will force outwardly on the upwardly extending legs of the bell cranks 35 and 36 and will lower the blade 30. In the event it is desired to raise the blade 30 the rotary valve element of the master valve 60 is rotated so that the passageway 6! thereof communicates with the pipe 61. Fluid will then flow in a reverse direction from that previously described, passing along pipe 16 to the outer end 01' the hydraulic ram '44 and then moving the piston 41 of that ram rearwardly, at which time the displaced fluid will pass through pipe 15, the passageway II in valve 10, and thence along pipe 14 to the outer end of the hydraulic ram 44, moving that piston rearwardly and the displaced fluid in advance thereof into pipe 13, after which it flows through passageway 12 of the valve 16, and then along passageway 69 to pipe 66 where it will be exhausted into the pipe 64. This action will swing the bell cranks 95 and 36 in a reverse direction and lift the blade. It may be desirable to tilt the blade transversely. This may be done by moving the rotary valve element of the valve 10 to the position indicated in full lines at which time the establishment of fluid flow from the supply pipe 59 through the master valve 69 to either pipe 66 or 61 will prpduce an alternate delivery of the fluid first to the outer end of one hydraulic rain, following to the opposite end of the other hydraulic ram, or vice versa, in which event the pistons 41 of the two rams will move in opposite directions and will produce the desired tilt. When this has been accomplished the rotary valve member of the master valve 66 will be returned to itsoriginal pump 58 through pipe 59 to the pipe 84. In making this adjustment it will be evident that the fluid displaced from the rear side of one piston 41 will be unequal with relation to the fluid displaced at the forward side of the opposite piston. This displacement would cause an unequal move- ,ment of-the bell cranks 35 and 36 if itwere not for the fact that the upper leg of bell crank 36 is longer than the upper leg' of bell crank 35. I When the bell cranks swing they will raise orllower the links 38 and simultaneously the rams 44 and 45 will swing vertically from the pivots at their rear ends;

When it is desired to swing the blade 30 laterally around the king pin 28 the master valve 60 is disposed in its vertical position to permit a flow of fluid from the pump 58 through pipe 59,

-8| or pipe 82. In either instance fluid will flow to one of the hydraulic rams 48 or 49, and the displaced fluid will flow through pipe 83 to the other hydraulic ram, thus making it possible to forcefully apply pressure to one end of the blade 30 while applying a drawing action to the opposite end. When the rotary element of valve is returned to its neutral position the rams 48 and 49 will be locked and the blade 30 will in turn be rigidly held at a set angle which will not be disturbed until fluid is admitted to one or the other of pipes 81 or 82 by the valve 65. When the valve 65 is in its neutral position and the master valve 60 is in its neutral position a free flow of pressure fluid from the pump 58 may be had through pipe 11 to the storage tank 56.

It will thus be seen that by the structure here disclosed it will be possible to hydraulically control-the elevation, tilt, and angular displacement of the scraper blade 30.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hydraulically operated scraper and the like, comprising a main frame, a running gear including a pair of track laying units, one disposedon each side of the main frame, a scraper blade disposed in advance of the main frame and transversely thereof, a frame structure for the scraper extending transversely of the main frame and along the opposite sides thereof, an equalizer bar connected to the rearwardly extending frame portions and transversely of the main frame structure, means articulately connecting said equalizer bar with the main frame, separate lever means supported by the separate track laying units of the machine, one end of each of said levers being articulately connected to the blade supporting frame, hydraulic rams one mounted on each of said track laying units and being pro vided with a piston rod pivotally connected to the opposite end of each of said levers, said rams having pressure chambers on either side of said piston, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the pressure chambers of the rams, fluid conthe opposite end of the other ram, and means embodied in the leverstructures whereby simul-.,

taneous and uniform lifting of the blade frame will be accomplished while compensating for unequal movement-of the pistons of the two rams due to the unequal capacities of the ram'cylinders on opposite sides of their pistons.

2. A dirt moving machine including a tractor. a material moving member disposed transversely of the tractor, means articulately supporting the material moving member'with relation to the tractor whereby the blade and the articulate support may be free to be, bodily raised br lowered,

or be longitudinaligftiltedas a unit, a pair of hydraulic rams. of equal fluid capacity having pressure chambers on both sides of their pistons, said rams being carried by the tractor and connected to the articulate support, a source of fluid under pressure therefor, connections between the source of fluid under pressure and the rams, and connections between the'rams whereby the pistons. of the rams may simultaneously move in opposite directions due to the delivery of the pressure fluid to one of the rams and the delivery of displaced fluid from said first mentioned ram to the opposite end of the second mentioned ram, and lever means connecting operative parts of the ram with the material moving member, said lever means acting to compensate for differences in movement of the moving parts of the two rams due to the differences in volumes of the pressure fluid introduced into one ram and the displaced fluid introduced into the other ram.

3. A dirt moving machine including a tractor, a material moving member disposed transversely of the tractor, means articulately supporting the material moving member with relation to the tractor whereby the blade and the articulate support may be free to be bodily raised or lowered, or to be longitudinally tilted as a unit, a pair of hydraulic rams of equal fluid capacity having pressure chambers on both sides of their pistons, said rams carried by thetractor and connected to articulate support, a source of fluid under pressure therefor, connections between the source of fluid under pressure and the rams, and connections between the rams whereby the pistons of the rams may simultaneously move in opposite directions due to the delivery of the pressure fluid to one of the pressure chambers of the rams and the delivery of displaced fluid from the other pressure chamber of said first mentioned ram to the opposite end of the second mentioned ram, lever means connecting operative parts of the ram with the material moving member, said lever means acting to compensate for differences in movement of the moving parts of the two rams due to the differences in volumes of the pressure fluid introduced into one ram and the displaced fluid introduced into the other ram, and selective means for alternately directing the pressure fluid to one of the rams and the displaced fluid to the other of said rams.

4. A dirt moving machine including a tractor, a material moving member disposed transversely of the tractor, means articulately supporting the material moving member with relation to the tractor whereby the blade and the articulate support may be free to be bodily raised or lowered, or to be longitudinally tilted as a unit, a pair 01. hydraulic rams of equal fluid capacity and having pressure chambers on both sides of their pistons, said rams being carried by the tractor and connected to the frame, a. source of fluid under pressure therefor, connections being member, said lever means acting to compensate for differences in movement of the moving parts of the two rams due to the differences in volumes of the pressure fluid introduced into one ram and the displaced fluid introduced into the other ram, selective means for alternately directing the pressure fluid to one of the rams V and the displaced fluid to the other of said rams, and a master valve for simultaneously actuating the two rams in unison in their previously set positions.

5. A hydraulically operated dirt moving machine comprising a tractor, a material moving member disposed transversely thereof, means articulately connecting said material moving member to the tractor for raising and lowering movement-and for longitudinal tilting, a pair of hydraulic rams of equal capacity having pressure chambers on either side of their pistons carried by the tractor and connected to the articulate support, each including a cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, and a piston rod extending from one end thereof, a source of fluid under pressure, a. control valve in communication therewith, piping by which communication is established between the control valve to the opposite ends of both of the rams, and by which the opposite ends of one ram may communicate with the ends of the other ram,- 9, second valve interposed in the lines of flow of the pressure fluid whereby the fluid may be directed simuJ- taneously to the same end of both rams, or alternately to opposite ends of either ram, and whereby the displaced fluid from one ram may be introduced into a selected end of the other ram, and lever means connecting the pistons with the material moving member to adjust the same, said lever ,means being designed to compensate for action of the two pistons when the pressure fluid delivered to one cylinder differs in volume from the displaced fluid delivered to the other cylinder.

6. A dirt moving machine comprising a tractor, a pair of track laying units at opposite sides of the tractor and forming a running gear therefor, said units being pivoted for vertical swinging movement at the rear'thereof and each including a rigid frame, a transversely disposed scraper blade mounted i n'advance of the tractor, an upright carried by each frame of a track laying unit, a pivot link pivoted adjacent the front of each frame of the track laying unit and extending vertically, a longitudinally extending member pivoted at its rear end to the upright and adjacent its forward end to the vertical link, a bell crank pivotally mounted at the forward end of each of said longitudinally extending members, a frame structure by which the scraper blade is articulateiy supported from the tractor. links connecting one leg of each bell crank with said frame structure, the legs of said bell cranks being of un qual length and operating means of unequal movement carried by the upright of each of the track laying units, said operating means being of unequal is and connected to the opposite leg of each of the bell cranks to swing the same, the unequal length of the operated means and the bell cranks compensating for the unequal movement of the operating means.

7. In a dirtmoving machine, a tractor. a scraper blade disposed transversely of said tractor, a frame by which the blade is articulately connected to the tractor in advance thereof, a pair of hydraulic rams connected to the tractor and the frame for lifting and lowering movement and tilting movement with relation to the tractor, and a second pair of hydraulic rams carried by the frame and pivotaily connected to the opposite ends of the blade whereby the blade may be angularly adjusted independently of the movement of the frame, said rams being characterized as having power chambers on either side of their pistons, a source of fluid under pressure, means connecting said rams and the source of fluid supply, valve means for each pair of hydraulic rams whereby each pair of rams may be operated independently or in unison or the source of fluid supply may be connected to the same end of both rams or to the opposite ends of the rams of the first pair and the pressure fluid may be delivered to opposite ends of the second pair.

8. A hydraulically operated dirt moving machine comprising a tractor, a material moving member disposed transversely thereto, means articulately connecting said material moving member to the tractor for raising and lowering movement and for longitudinally tilting, a pair of hydraulic rams of equal capacity having pressure chambers on either side of their piston carried by the tractor and connected to the articulate support, each including a cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein and a piston rod extending from one end thereof, a source of fluid under pressure, a control valve in communication therewith, conduits by which communication is established between the control valve and the opposite ends of both of the rams and by which the opposite ends of one ram may communicate with the other end -of the other ram, a second valve interposed in the lines of flow of the pressure-fluid whereby the fluid may be directed simultaneously to the same end of both rams or alternately to opposite ends of either ram whereby the displaced fluid fromone ram may be introduced into the selected end of the other ram, a lever means connecting the pistons with the material moving member to adjust the same, said lever meansbeing of unequal length to compensate for action of the'two pistons when the pressure fluid delivered to one cylinder diifers in volume from the displaced fluid delivered'to the other cylinder.

CHARLES LE BLEU. 

